Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of Italy, and Theodore Achilles

664 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 31 Memorandum of Conversation DATE: December 5, 1949 SUBJECT: Italy and Africa PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary The Italian Ambassador Mr. Aghilles, WE COPIES TO: S/S Embassy Rome EUR Embassy London NEA Embassy Addis Ababa AF 1-1493 The Ambassador called at his request to discuss a number of questions and began by expressing general satisfaction with the outcome of the General Assembly' discussion of the former Italian colonies. The decisions taken were not wholly satisfactory to anyone but he considered them to be generally the best solution obtainable and that a generally accepted solution was preferable to an easy victory for any particular party. He referred to his Government's desire for the restoration of normal relations with Ethiopha. The Italian Gowernment had been cured of any such "criminal adventures as Mussolini's and of any desire for imperialism or colonialism in Africa, It did wish for normal, mutually beneficial relations with the Ethiopian Government and for progress in discussions with it of such matters as repara- tions and the frontier between Ethiopãa and Italian Somaliland. I expressed appreciation for his Government's attitude and said that it is particularly important that neither the Italian nor Ethiopian Government or any other government attempt to influence the eventual UN decision on Eritrea by agitation or any other unwise means, I expressed confidence that we could find means of giving similar counsel to the Ethiopians, of advising them of the Italian Government' S attitude and, if possible, of being of assistance in facilitating the resumption of normal relations. DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, Aug.5.1915 12-23-25 By NLT- HC NARS Date 4-28-76